Ratchet driving-gear.



No. 65|,706. Patented June I2, |900.y

- W. H. FQRE RATGHET EIS-RNW@ GEAR (Applcatim filed Jam 24, 191900l l@11W/ll l v, 1

UNITED YSTAT-'143sl PATENT 'FFIICE i VILSN l-I. FORBES, OF BEAVER FALLS, PENNSYLVANI.

RATCHET DRIVING-GEAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,706, dated June 12, 1900.

Application tiled January 24, 1900. Serial No. 2,660. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILSON H. FORBES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beaver Falls, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ratchet Driving-Gears, otl which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a ratchet drivinggear, and has for its object to provide a driving-gear of the character referred to wherein the parts will always be in position to instantaneously effect an operative engagement with one another to drive the mechanism to which the gear may be applied and which when driven in the reverse direction will opera-te with the minimum amount of noise and friction.

To this end my invention consists in the features, and in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims following the description, reference being had, to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, wherein- Figure l is a vertical central sectional view of my improved ratchet driving-gear; and Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view, the shaft being shown in plan.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l indicates a shaft or axle on which is loosely mounted a drive-wheel 2. The drive-wheel is shown in the present instance as being formed solid and provided with a plurality of equally-spaced radial sockets 3, extending from the periphery of the wheel to its inner circumference. Arranged in eachof the sockets 3 is an antifriction-ball 4, on which is arranged to bear a washer 5. Plugs 6 are screwed into the outer ends of the sockets 3, and between said plugs and washers are disposed coiled springs 7, that operate to force the balls inward and hold them in contact with the shaft or axle l.

Formed in the periphery of the shaft or axle lis an annular series of notches or recesses 8, each of said notches being wider and deeper at one end than at the other, as shown, the wider and deeper end thereof forming an abrupt shoulder 9 and the narrower end gradually inclining outward and merging into the periphery of the shaft or axle. As shown, the sockets or recesses 8 are formed in an annular circumferential series about the shaft or axle and are all disposed in the same direction.

Let it be assumed that the wheel 2 is a driven wheel designed for communicating rotary moveinent'to the shaft or axle, then the operation of the device will be as follows: It

,will be noted that the antifriction-balls and.

notches are unequal in number, seven balls being shown in the present arrangement and six notches or recesses. `If the wheel be rotated in the reverse direction to that shown Vby the arrowin Fig. l of the drawings, then no motion will be communicated to the shaft, as the balls will successively drop into and roll out of the notches or recesses, and owing to the balls exceeding the notches or recesses in number when one ball is completely seated in one of the notches or recesses the succeedthen move out therefrom, so that in each complete revolution of the wheel each ball will seat itself once in each socket. Thus in the instance herein shown the balls collectively will seat themselvesin and move out of the notches or recesses forty-two times. During this movement the wheel will rotate idly around the shaft or axle without communieating movement to the latter. If the wheel be rotated in the reverse direction, as indicated in Fig. l of the drawings, one of the balls being completely seated in one of the notches or recesses and bearing against the abrupt shoulder 9, the wheel and shaft or axle will rotate together.

I have shown and described the wheel as being a driven .wheel and operating to drive the shaft or axle; but it will be manifest that the power may be applied to drive the shaft or axle, so -that the latter in turn will coinmunicate motion to the wheel.

In the drawings I have shown seven balls IOO 'and sinnotches or recesses; but itw illrbe unf,-4 derstoodthat thenumber off balls` andnotches orrecesses may be varied to suit dierentsized Wheels and shafts or axles; but the relative number of balls and notches or recesses should always be unequal for the reasons be?V fore set forth.

The invention is herein shownand described as being applied to a shaft or axle; but it will -be understood that it may be appliedy to a large variety of uses and is especially applicable to ratchet drills, bits, and othertools,

but may be used whenever a ratchet-gear is useful or desirable. It will be understood, therefore, that where the Word shaft or axle is employed I mean to includeY any rotatable part which the ratchet mechanism may be applied to.

Having described. my invention, what I claim is i 1. The combination with a shaft oraxle pro,- vided with a circumferential series of notches or recesses each-0f which is deeper and wider at one end than at the 0ther,of a Wheel loosely journaled .onV said shaft or axle, aseries of ra- Vdi:il'ly-movable antifriction-balls carried by 'said Wheel and arranged to engage said notches or recesses, said balls and notches or recesses being unequal in number, substantially as described.

2.4 The combination with a shaft or axle provided with a circumferential seriesof notches @or recesses each of which is deeper and wider atene end than at tlie other, ofI a Wheel loosely journal'ed on said shaft oraXle andpro'vided y with aplurality of radial sockets, antifrictionballs disposed in said sockets and arranged i to engage the notches or recesses, and sprin gs disposed inthe sockets and operating to hold the balls in contact with the shaft or axle, substantially as described. y

In testimony whereof I haveV hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses. v

WILSON I-I. FORBES.

Witnesses:

l JOHN REEVES,

JAMES F. MERRIMAN. 

